


Dumbledore finds out about the animagus forms

by pckdrg



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 06:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18987025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pckdrg/pseuds/pckdrg
Summary: Dumbledore and McGonagall talk to James and Sirius after Snape told them about the animagus forms. Hints at Wolfstar.





	Dumbledore finds out about the animagus forms

They stood before Dumbledore’s desk, heads both bowed down. Sirius’ gaze was fixed on the marble floor and was utterly still, while James was fumbling with the end of his robes and was moving his weight from his left to his right foot, never standing completely still.

Albus Dumbledore was looking at them intently, his hands intertwined, while he was resting his chin upon them.

‘Mr. Snape has informed me that he saw a stag and a dog running out of the Shrieking Shack last full moon’, he said at last.

Sirius bit his lip nervously, but looked up. He nodded.

‘How is that possible?’

They were silent, until James simply mumbled ‘magic’. Professor McGonagall, who was sitting in the corner, rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore smiled. ‘I understand that. When did you accomplish this?’

Sirius shot James a look, but they couldn’t really hold full conversations with their eyes only. So they were telling the whole truth. If it did Remus no harm, that is. 

‘In our third year, professor’, Sirius replied eventually.

‘On your own?’ McGonagall asked sharply. ‘When you were thirteen?’

Sirius swallowed, but nodded again. He tried to suppress the urge to stand straighter and lift his chin because he heard a sparkle of an impressed McGonagall, even though it was only for a second.

‘Very well’, Dumbledore replied.

‘Well? It is not well at al, Albus. Imagine what would have happened if someone else had caught them’, McGonagall said rapidly. ‘You are aware what would have happened?’ she asked the boys.

Both Sirius and James knew, but all in all it seemed better to lie. Maybe they would think they were ignorant and naive, and only give them detentions for every weekend of the rest of the year instead of expelling them. James shot a furtive look to Sirius, who caught his eye, and they knew they were both thinking the same thing.

‘Expelled, I think?’ James said.

McGonagall’s eyes widened. ‘My dear boy, being an illegal animagi is enough reason for the Ministry of Magaic to put you in Azkaban.’

Sirius and James tried their best to act shocked, as if this was new information. Sirius had the feeling Dumbledore didn’t believe them and he therefore found it difficult to meet his eyes. He was getting more anxious by the minute, because Dumbledore had a really good reason to actually expel them both, and even though they had done so many pranks which others would find on the verge of expulsion, Dumbledore never did it. But now he seemed more grave than ever. Sirius felt is throat tighten. If he was expelled, he couldn’t help Remus anymore during the full moons, so all of this would have been for nothing. Also, he was disowned. He was practically a nobody then with no hope for the future.

So Sirius took his chance. He had nothing to lose.

‘Sir- Headmaster’, he hastily said, feeling emotions welling up, ‘It was all for Remus. We figured out he had a furry little problem in our second year, and even though he thought he had to leave immediately we just accepted it, because it’s Remus Lupin you know, who folds his socks and picks his teeth.’ He took another breath to keep on talking before they could interrupt him.  
‘Remus never asked us to do this, in fact, he thought we would never be able to do it actually when we told him our plan. My plan, actually. It was me. James just agreed with it.’

He saw Dumbledore listening intently, so he decided to spill it all out.

‘It’s just.. It’s not because we thought it would be cool to run around as animals and we never use our forms when it’s not the full moon. Remus already suffers so much in his life and has suffered far more than both of us, and I just wanted to help him because I can’t bear to see him hurt anymore. He used to be broken, literally, in the Hospital Wing and there was nothing I could do but watch and he is actually doing much better when he has us to keep him from biting himself.’

Dumbledore was looking at McGonagall and they seemed to have a conversation without words.

‘I don’t want him to suffer anymore than he already has, Headmaster’, Sirius repeated quietly, his voice pleading.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke. ‘It so happens that I also noticed that Mr. Lupin was doing far better physically after the transformations, so I suspected there was something going on.’ He scratched his beard slowly.

’I have Mr. Lupin’s best interests at heart, otherwise I would not have offered him a place at my school’, he continued.

‘I am a firm believer in rules to maintain peace and withhold chaos, but sometimes exceptions are to be made when you know it is not right in your heart’, he said softly. Both James and Sirius exhaled and James closed his eyes, relieved.

‘I have seen over the past few years how much you both care about Mr. Lupin and I believe this act is done because of love, and nothing else. However, I want your word that will not use your animagus form for any other reason than to help Remus Lupin.’

‘Yes- of course, we swear it’, both boys started at the same time.

‘I also want you to promise me that no one can ever know, because they would indeed send you to Azkaban.’

They both nodded.

‘Very well’, Dumbledore said again, while nodding.

‘Are we not getting detentions?’ James asked confused.

‘I assume there will be plenty of other times where you will be given detentions, Mr. Potter, and although I do not want to encourage you in illegal activities such as becoming an animagus, I believe caring for your friend this much is not worth a punishment’, Dumbledore replied simply.

Sirius stepped forward and put his hand on Dumbledore’s desk. ‘Thank you’, he said, and he had tears in his eyes. ‘I- I.. I love him and I wouldn’t know what to do if I-‘

‘I know, Mr. Black’, Dumbledore interrupted him and he smiled.

At that moment, Remus Lupin himself walked into the office. He looked surprised to see James and Sirius there, but a second later he did not, and his face was the infamous what have you done now-face. Dumbledore turned to him.

‘Ah, Mr. Lupin, thank you for joining us. I think you’ll be pleased to know that these boys are not expelled and have been given permission to use everything they can to help you during the full moons, if it benefits you.’

Remus bit his lip and looked at Sirius and James in astonishment. ‘I am very pleased indeed, sir’, was all he could reply.

Dumbledore clapped his hands. ‘All right, you can all enjoy dinner and we will see each other tomorrow.’

James smiled and bowed his head slightly to both Dumbledore and McGonagall, and walked over the door. Sirius looked at them both but did not know what to say to express his gratitude, so he awkwardly stood there.

‘I have been made aware that your family has disowned you, Mr. Black. No matter the reasons, I would not put a homeless child outside these castle doors’, Dumbledore said, responding to what Sirius was not able to convey in words. 

Sirius swallowed and nodded. He inhaled deeply and then walked over to Remus, who smiled down at him. It was one of Remus’ genuine smiles, which he rarely showed with exception to Sirius. It made Sirius feel warm in his body, and his fingers tingling.

Remus mouthed ‘thank you’ to both the professors and left with Sirius and James.


End file.
